The present invention applies to therapeutic traction and support devices for use in applying spinal traction and for decompressing and unloading a person's back and spine to alleviate certain types of backaches. It also relates to spinal orthotic devices and more particularly to such devices for controlling body posture with or without rigidity. The present invention also applies to exercise and stretching equipment and back exercising devices having a spring load to the arms, underarms, or shoulders. The present invention further applies to devices designed to improve body posture and to improve appearance.
It is known in the art that spinal traction and stretching of the back can provide relief from certain types of back pain, particularly in the lower or lumbar region of the spine. Such stretching can have therapeutic value for certain back injuries to the thoracic and lumbar regions of the spine, as well as, certain congenital spinal maladies, e.g., scoliosis.
Large forces are brought to bear on the base of the spine (lumbo-sacral spine) when standing or seated. In treating pathologic conditions of this region it becomes necessary to support the area by stabilization. To effect this stabilization, it is necessary to control much of the thoracic spine as well.
Most braces for lower back problems do not attempt to control the thoracic spine. It is this pendulum with much of the body weight on it that creates the tremendous load on the lumbar sacral spine. Some conditions require the pelvis to have an anterior or posterior tilt.
The body may become crooked because of natural involuntary countermeasures to relieve the pain caused by a pinched nerve in the spine. Chiropractic medicine advances relief from back pain through alignment/adjustment of the spine. The adjustment generally involves a patient being aligned as a result of a snapping, or popping, of the spine induced by a chiropractor. This may temporarily relieve the pain, but does nothing for the offending musculature, and does not improve muscle tone in the required area. Usually patients are required to make repeated visits and undergo repetitive treatments. Although this approach can be helpful in some instances regarding the temporary alleviation of pain, it can also do more harm than good. The sudden snapping or cracking of the spine can cause trauma and distress to the vertebra, joints, and discs of the spine. This can lead to the need for more serious medical treatment. Because of these drawbacks, and others, chiropractic treatment is not generally accepted, advanced, or recommended by the medical community.
The medical profession advances relief from back pain from prescription muscle relaxers, injections near the affected area of the spine, bed or table traction, surgery, etc. The medical profession also prescribes repetitive physical therapy treatment that includes: electro-shock, heat pads, massage, and certain types of exercise. Medically recommended home therapy to position the spine in a neutral or balanced position includes: extensive bed rest, minimum mobility, and, occasionally, stretching exercises.
Exercise is the best way to build muscle strength and flexibility in order to maintain the proper shape of the spine. Good body mechanics and a strong, flexible back are the best defense against back injury. Improper implementation of some exercises, however, can damage the back and cause disc and vertebrae degeneration, especially in the lower back, i.e., doing sit-ups with straight-legs pull on the psoas muscles, which are attached to the lower six spinal vertebrae and the front of the legs, thereby causing the spine to be pulled out of it's balanced neutral position.
When a person is seated the weight of his or her upper body presses down on the lower back, which can cause stress and pain if this area is injured or weak. Sometimes, sitting in a vehicle, boat, or aircraft can cause considerable discomfort in that the lower back is constantly subjected to impact.
The usual approach, to spinal problems which may be alleviated by traction, is to require a patient to lie in bed with cables attached to portions of the patient's body and sand bags or other weights attached to the cables to apply tension to the patient and in order to relieve compressive forces on the patient's spine. This is, of course, a highly restrictive treatment. Other approaches include systems such as that disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 3,167,068 wherein a patient sits in a chair with an upright lumbo-sacral traction system attached to the chair. The patient is thus free to use his or her arms while undergoing traction. However, the patient is not ambulatory and has minimal control Over the pressure applied.
Still another approach is to suspend the human body above the floor, either hanging from the feet or ankles or hanging from the underarms or rib cage area. This approach utilizes the force of gravity to stretch the lower spine. It is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 4,170,988 wherein the patient is suspended upside down while retained by his or her ankles. With this approach, the weight of the patient's body is used to tension the spine and thus relieve compressive forces in the spine. While the patient is suspended upside down, there is not much the patient can do. Generally, each treatment takes five (5) to ten (10) minutes and may provide the patient with sufficient relief to perform normal activities for perhaps a day or so before the treatment must be repeated. The limitations and problems with this approach are discussed by U.S. Pat. No. 4,715,362, i.e., blood tends to pool in the patient's head, increasing the risk of an aneurysm and possibly damage to the patient's eyes due to increased fluid pressure therein.
The form of apparatus for stretching or bracing which involves exerting force on two areas of the body above and below the lumbar spinal region, to force those two areas away from each other, also suffers from a number of inadequacies. Such braces are relatively bulky or can be quite uncomfortable to the wearer. In addition, the static stretching, once a brace is adjusted to exert a certain force between the two areas of attachment to the body, remains essentially constant unless and until the brace is readjusted. It is known that the cyclical stretching of the spine can be more beneficial, thus the desirability of the use of, e.g., stretching tables as noted above, which have, however, the inconveniences noted above.
Ballard, U.S. Pat. No. 3,420,230, provides the following as examples or conditions which require immobilization in a neutral position and/or unweighting or unloading of the spine, or traction: ankylosis spondylitis, dicitis, post-spinal fusion, degenerative arthritis, osteoporosis, and pathologic fractures. Some require conditions, as for example compression fractures, hyper-extension of the diseased region of the spine. Other conditions require a flexing type brace for conservative treatment of ruptured intervertebra disc, lumbo-sacral sprain, spondylolisthesis, and the like. Ballard shows a passive or inactive back brace that is worn passively and does not have compressible support members. It does not actively stretch, exercise, or condition the muscles which provides support to the spine.
Erickson, U.S. Pat. No. 2,604,889, shows the use of a device incorporating a single crutch-like underarm brace in conjunction with a waist strap for uses other than back support. Erickson does not address or suggest therapy for problems of the back or spine. Erickson teaches away from a spring-loaded underarm support because it's goal is immobilization and it is one sided, which are undesirable characteristics for back and spine therapy.
Goodley, U.S. Pat. No. 4,583,533, describes a device which exerts suspensory force on the torso in the rib cage region by way of struts which rest upon a surface on which the wearer is sitting or standing. The device only works while the struts have foundation on a suitable surface, therefore, for this reason and others, it has limited value during mobilization. It does not allow for decompression of, or therapy to, the cervical and thoracic spine, and it does not provide a system for exercising the muscles which affect the back, spine, posture, or appearance.
Scott, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,715,362 [Scott ('362)], provides a lumbo-sacral traction system to absorb shock to the spine from ambulation. Scott ('362) describes a device having an upper and lower support belt which encircles a patient adjacent to the pelvis and adjacent to the patient's upper back just beneath the arms. Support is provided by a plurality of rear mounted vertical compressible struts on both sides of the spine for absorbing shocks resulting from ambulation.
Scott ('362) teaches minimal upward lift and spinal decompression and there are no pressure release mechanisms to actively control, and/or to relieve, the amount of tension on the back. It does not allow a means to cause a posterior or anterior tilt to the pelvis which is necessary for certain conditions. Scott ('362) does not address, or provide therapy to, the thoracic or cervical spine or the muscles associated with the spine. The device has no handholds or pressure release mechanisms to control, and/or to relieve, the amount of tension on the spine. It does not exercise, stretch, or work the muscles which are responsible for holding the spine in a balanced neutral position, or the muscles responsible for posture and appearance (i.e., the back muscles, spinal erectors, abdominal, rhomboideus, latissimus dorsi, internal and external obloquies, psoas, and levator scapulae). The Scott ('362) device has the struts in the rear and does not allow the wearer to sit or lay comfortably. It does not restrict trunk flexion or bending the upper body, therefore, it provides minimal support when the wearer is forced to lean forward.
Scott, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,881,528 [Scott ('528)], addressed the sitting problem with his "spinal traction and support unit used while seated." Scott ('528) is static and is only effective while seated. Its effectiveness is further dependent upon, and affected by, the rigidity of the seating surface. As such, it has limited value when the wearer sits on a surface with deep cushioning. The Scott ('528) device does not use compressible struts and does not offer traction or tension adjustments. The device does not address, stretch, or exercise the muscles which affect the spine's balanced neutral position or the muscles which affect posture or appearance.
As shown, all of the devices shown in the prior art can only be used or worn passively. The above also demonstrates that existing apparatuses for treating back pain, and therapeutically treating back ailments, have not been altogether satisfactory. In view of the limitations and drawbacks of the prior devices and treatments, there is a need for an apparatus which: (a) applies traction to the spine, (b) decompresses and unloads the back and spine, (c) allows the wearer to safely stretch, elasticize, exercise, and strengthen the muscles which affect the problem, (d) relieves harmful stress and tension to the back, spine, and the offending muscles while also providing the user with a safe effective means to improve body posture, tone the upper body, and improve appearance, (e) permits a patient to be unrestricted while undergoing treatment.